Trinity Presbyterian using large gift to open center

Bringing music into community

Published: Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, September 13, 2013 at 12:59 p.m.

Pastor Mark Stanley and the congregation at Trinity Presbyterian Church did not quite know what to do a few years ago when the church received a large memorial gift to support its music program.

Facts

Want to play?

What: Musical instruction for children and adultsWhere: Community Music Center at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe St., HendersonvilleWhen: Classes start MondayCost: The first five-week session is free. Subsequent sessions are $25 for children and $40 adults. Scholarships are available.Info: Call 692-6114 or visit www.trinitypresnc.org

"It took awhile to recover from the size of the gift," Stanley said of the $370,000 donation from the family of the late Ray and Peggy Hannan. "We so appreciated it."

The Hannans, who also left a bequest for the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, asked that the church use the money to enhance its music program. Peggy Hannan was an accomplished pianist who performed nationally and internationally. She also loved teaching adults who did not plan to be performers but wanted to learn more about music.

The church wanted to properly honor the Hannans' commitment to sharing music with others through a program that it could share with the entire community. So after much discussion and careful thought, the congregation decided to create a music center.

The new Community Music Center at the church will open Monday with classes for children and adults. It will also include an instrument loan library that allows students to borrow musical instruments at no charge for classes and practice sessions.

The center will charge a nominal fee for classes and will offer scholarships to anyone who cannot afford the fee.

Instructors plan to take their classes into the community to groups including the Boys & Girls Club in Hendersonville.

"The goal is that it be something the whole community can benefit from," Stanley said.

The church turned to one of its own to teach classes and run the music center.

Brandilyn Davidson had served at the church as a musician for a number of months before leaders at Trinity asked her to put together a proposal on how the church should spend the money it received.

The church accepted Davidson's proposal and then asked her to run the program.

"She is good at what she does," Stanley said. "The Lord led us to some really talented people, and we are just thankful for it."

Davidson is a licensed music teacher and is also a part-time band director at a school in Buncombe County. She said she is thrilled to be involved in building a music center from the ground up and to be teaching children and adults who might not otherwise be able to take music classes.

"This is really exciting," she said. "I have my foot in both doors. This is a fantastic opportunity for me."

Davidson has been busy bringing in all the instruments that will make up instrument loan library and trying to get the word out to the community that the center will be opening.

"It's kind of slow getting the word," she said.

The music center offers a variety of classes to both adults and children, and many are not religious in nature.

The classes include Meditative Drum Circle, Sign Language and Song, K-6 Music Exploration, Beginning Folk Guitar and a Kids Rock class, which gives children in seventh through 12th grades the chance to learn what it is like to perform together as a rock group. Other classes the center has planned include a West African Drum class and a class on Jewish folk music.

At Stanley's request, the center also plans to include a class on Southern gospel music.

"I also want to attend the African drumming," Stanley said.

The center is bringing in musicians, in addition to Davidson, to teach some of the classes.

Davidson said the church chose to include a range of classes to reach as many people as possible. Allowing students to use and practice with instruments at the center without asking them to pay a fee or buy an instrument also helps reach more students, she said.

"It's just about getting the community involved with music and musical expression," she said.

Classes will take place once a week in five-week sessions. Classes during the first five weeks after the center's opening will be free. After the first few free classes, the center's classes will cost $5 per week ($25 per session) for children and $8 per week ($40 per session) for adults. Scholarships are available.

<p>Pastor Mark Stanley and the congregation at Trinity Presbyterian Church did not quite know what to do a few years ago when the church received a large memorial gift to support its music program.</p><p>"It took awhile to recover from the size of the gift," Stanley said of the $370,000 donation from the family of the late Ray and Peggy Hannan. "We so appreciated it."</p><p>The Hannans, who also left a bequest for the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, asked that the church use the money to enhance its music program. Peggy Hannan was an accomplished pianist who performed nationally and internationally. She also loved teaching adults who did not plan to be performers but wanted to learn more about music.</p><p>The church wanted to properly honor the Hannans' commitment to sharing music with others through a program that it could share with the entire community. So after much discussion and careful thought, the congregation decided to create a music center.</p><p>The new Community Music Center at the church will open Monday with classes for children and adults. It will also include an instrument loan library that allows students to borrow musical instruments at no charge for classes and practice sessions.</p><p>The center will charge a nominal fee for classes and will offer scholarships to anyone who cannot afford the fee.</p><p>Instructors plan to take their classes into the community to groups including the Boys & Girls Club in Hendersonville.</p><p>"The goal is that it be something the whole community can benefit from," Stanley said.</p><p>The church turned to one of its own to teach classes and run the music center.</p><p>Brandilyn Davidson had served at the church as a musician for a number of months before leaders at Trinity asked her to put together a proposal on how the church should spend the money it received.</p><p>The church accepted Davidson's proposal and then asked her to run the program.</p><p>"She is good at what she does," Stanley said. "The Lord led us to some really talented people, and we are just thankful for it."</p><p>Davidson is a licensed music teacher and is also a part-time band director at a school in Buncombe County. She said she is thrilled to be involved in building a music center from the ground up and to be teaching children and adults who might not otherwise be able to take music classes.</p><p>"This is really exciting," she said. "I have my foot in both doors. This is a fantastic opportunity for me."</p><p>Davidson has been busy bringing in all the instruments that will make up instrument loan library and trying to get the word out to the community that the center will be opening.</p><p>"It's kind of slow getting the word," she said.</p><p>The music center offers a variety of classes to both adults and children, and many are not religious in nature.</p><p>The classes include Meditative Drum Circle, Sign Language and Song, K-6 Music Exploration, Beginning Folk Guitar and a Kids Rock class, which gives children in seventh through 12th grades the chance to learn what it is like to perform together as a rock group. Other classes the center has planned include a West African Drum class and a class on Jewish folk music.</p><p>At Stanley's request, the center also plans to include a class on Southern gospel music.</p><p>"I also want to attend the African drumming," Stanley said.</p><p>The center is bringing in musicians, in addition to Davidson, to teach some of the classes. </p><p>Davidson said the church chose to include a range of classes to reach as many people as possible. Allowing students to use and practice with instruments at the center without asking them to pay a fee or buy an instrument also helps reach more students, she said.</p><p>"It's just about getting the community involved with music and musical expression," she said.</p><p>Classes will take place once a week in five-week sessions. Classes during the first five weeks after the center's opening will be free. After the first few free classes, the center's classes will cost $5 per week ($25 per session) for children and $8 per week ($40 per session) for adults. Scholarships are available.</p><p>"We don't want anyone to miss out," Stanley said. "We want to do some good."</p><p>For more information, contact Trinity Presbyterian at 692-6114 or visit the church's website at www.trinitypresnc.org.</p>